During her first pregnancy, Kahabi was in labour for three days. She wanted to go to the hospital, but her husband refused, saying he didn’t have money for transport.
On the third day, Kahabi became weak and could not stand on her own. She was then taken to the hospital where she delivered a stillborn baby. After such a long labour, Kahabi had also developed a small fistula. She leaked urine constantly.
Sadly, when she returned home, Kahabi’s husband sent her back to her parents because of the smell. Culturally, this meant she was now divorced. A few months later she was married to another man and even with the fistula she was able to go on to have six children.
Kahabi lived with the fistula for 12 years before she was found by a social worker from Kivulini on an outreach trip.
Finding Kahabi
During a community awareness meeting in a regional village, the Kivulini outreach team was told there was a woman who’d been living with a fistula for a long time. Grace, the social worker from Kivulini, along with a district representative and the village leader, visited Kahabi and had a family meeting on the treatment process. Kahabi’s husband didn’t want her to go for treatment, but the outreach team and the village leader didn’t give up. They persisted with the husband until eventually he allowed Kahabi to come for treatment in November.
Joy at Kivulini
At Kivulini Maternity Centre, Kahabi was completely healed of her fistula after twelve years. During her stay, she enjoyed meeting other fistula patients, learning skills like beadwork and sewing, and attending chapel.
Kahabi has now returned home to her family. We can only imagine the joy her family and community must have felt when she came home cured.
